Ash Vacuum good or bad for Pellet Stove

[home heater]

Any one use a vacuum to clean a pellet stove I saw one that was made for pellet and stove cleaning I wonder if they blow dust from the exhaust.

 

[Bioburner]

A lot of us use a vac of some sort. Monthly thread on using them.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Any vacuum you use must have a fine particle filter (hepa filter) otherwise it will exhaust soot into the room.

You only use it when the stove and ash are cold as there may be smoldering embers hidden in that ash and there may still be glowing pellets in places like the burn pot.

A metal vacuum is recommended.

Be certain to place the vacuum on a non combustible surface outside after using it just in case.

 

[Micmann]

My experience with some ash vacs is they clog the filters way to fast. May work good with log wood ash or coal, but pellet ash is super fine and light and suck right to the filters and you loose suction fast. I craigslisted my Cheetah ash vac for that reason and went with an old Kerby with HEPA bags. Works great for me. Others have used shop vacs with drywall bags and they seem to like it. Search the site there has been many discussions on all the various vac used.

 

[home heater]

Not a bad idea on the Kerby, I happen to have one down stairs will need to look for filters.

 

[rayttt]

Any one use a vacuum to clean a pellet stove I saw one that was made for pellet and stove cleaning I wonder if they blow dust from the exhaust.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/ash-vacuum-great-price-just-bought-one.116536/

 

[chico]

I have a powersmith ash vac that's works good on my pellet stove

 

[Harvey Schneider]

My experience with some ash vacs is they clog the filters way to fast. May work good with log wood ash or coal, but pellet ash is super fine and light and suck right to the filters and you loose suction fast. I craigslisted my Cheetah ash vac for that reason and went with an old Kerby with HEPA bags. Works great for me. Others have used shop vacs with drywall bags and they seem to like it. Search the site there has been many discussions on all the various vac used.

I am using a cheap "Cleva, Ash Vac" ($70). I have used it to clean my stoves for two years now. The can has been filled with ash to capacity several times and I have never had the filter clog. I will say that the vac has just enough suction to do it's job, has trouble picking up unburned pellets, but it does its job acceptably.
I prefer the ash vac to a shop vac because the hose, filter and can are all fireproof. That means that I don't have to wait for the stove to get stone cold before I clean it. It has a HEPA filter, and I have never had a problem with soot or dust in the exhaust.

 

[Micmann]

I am using a cheap "Cleva, Ash Vac" ($70). I have used it to clean my stoves for two years now. The can has been filled with ash to capacity several times and I have never had the filter clog. I will say that the vac has just enough suction to do it's job, has trouble picking up unburned pellets, but it does its job acceptably.
I prefer the ash vac to a shop vac because the hose, filter and can are all fireproof. That means that I don't have to wait for the stove to get stone cold before I clean it. It has a HEPA filter, and I have never had a problem with soot or dust in the exhaust.

There is a definite advantage to an actual "ash vac" of not having to wait till the stove is completely cold. Good to know you have one that works well!

 

[DirtyDave]

I use a home depot pail shop vac. 20 bucks with drywall filters and take the ash out and dump it outside on the lawn immeadiatly warm or cold ash. I have hurried a time or 2 and had to buy a new plastic bucket.

 

[muss]

been using my 2.5 gal shop vac for 5 years on my Lopi , works great with no flying particles

 

[Augmister]

I use a Rigid with the Hepa Filter and drywall bag. Have yet to melt mine...

 

[bill3rail]

I am using a cheap "Cleva, Ash Vac" ($70). I have used it to clean my stoves for two years now. The can has been filled with ash to capacity several times and I have never had the filter clog. I will say that the vac has just enough suction to do it's job, has trouble picking up unburned pellets, but it does its job acceptably.

Same here, but I occasionally take it apart and vacuum the filter with my shop vac outside to remove more fine dust particles.
It works great!

Bill

 

[Honkerdown]

Been using a 1 gallon Shop Vac for years, came with the house and my stove for 7 years. My stove being an insert with no ash dump, it requires ash clean out before every start up. The stove is mainly for supplemental heat, so I only clean out a cold stove.